MATT AND WENDY RULE
“That was my 24th win of the season and not a lot of people know that,” said a jubilant Matt Bottrill (Team I-Ride-MG Décor RT) as he reflected on his wining ride in round five of the RTTC-Rudy Project Time Trial Series on Saturday, at Great Witley, Worcestershire.
Well known for his long running series of fourth places in national time trial championships over the years (that must be some kind of record) Bottrill has had more than a fair share of successes.
This time out in the Wyre Forest CRC promotion Bottrill carried the day covering the 33 miles in 1-14-28 to beat 2008 junior 10-mile champion Daniel Arblaster (Guernsey Velo Club) by 1-39 with third placed Colin Robertson (Equipe Velo Ecosse) a further nine seconds back.
National hill climb champion Matt Clinton (Mike Vaughan Cycles) claimed fourth place with 1-16-59.
The riders faced two laps of an undulating circuit and after 16 miles Bottrill had established a 32 seconds lead over Arblaster with his 36-21 while Robertson was already in third with 37-05. The positions remained unchanged over the second lap, only the time gaps increased.
“It was a pity Stuart (Dangerfield) did not start, I would have liked to have seen how I went against him,” Bottrill said. “I’ve just had a week off so you are never too sure how you will go. Now I am looking forward to the British Time Trial Championship in September. I understand that Bradley Wiggins has entered, it will be interesting to see how Michael Hutchinson goes against him, they are both in a class of their own. The big names should hopefully bring the spectators out and make it a special event,” Bottrill said.
“It was a good circuit today with little traffic, a lot better than riding on dual carriageways with lorries hurtling past,” he added.
Still a junior, Arblaster choose to ride with the seniors as an Espoir. “I am after selection for the Commonwealth Games and to qualify I have to finish in the first 10 of a TT Series event riding against the seniors and do two 52 minute `25s` and I’ve done one of them already,” Arblaster said.
“I haven’t been riding many time trials this season, I have raced in Belgium for five weeks. I managed to get one win and a second plus a lot of top 10 places,” he said.
Since her rise to fame and membership of the Great Britain team we don’t often see Wendy Houvenaghel time trialling, her choosen field is pursuiting, but when we do she is usually in winning mode. Saturday was no exception.
The women’s event, over 16 miles, saw Houvenaghel winning with 38-26 from fellow international Sarah Storey (VC St Raphael), a Paralympic champion, second with 39-53 while 2008 TT Series winner King was third, 3-03 down on Houvenaghel.
The last few weeks has seen Houvenaghel getting back into racing mode after the Beijing Olympics and world track championships. “I’ve been having a rest before we start the build up for the start of the World Cup track series and the World’s,” Houvenaghel said.
Houvenaghel came to prominence through time trialling before being taken in to British Cycling’s fold. She won the TT Series in 2005, the year she also took the 10 and 25-mile RTTC championships. Winning the British Time Trial Championship in 2007 was followed the next year with a share in the gold-medal winning team pursuit at the World’s when she also took silver in the individual pursuit.
This year she scored another gold in the team pursuit and the silver in the individual and of course she won the individual silver medal at Beijing in the pursuit.the
“The track World Cup will be upon us soon, then there are the National’s and before we know it the World track championships and the Commonealth Games so there is a busy time ahead,” Houvenaghel said.
Sarah Storey will be equally busy in the coming months and she too has been taking it easy after the Beijing Paralympics. “We (Sarah and husband Barney) have been able to have a summer holiday for a change,” Storey said.
“I was also lucky enough to have been invited back to Beijing by the British Council for a week to talk about the Olympics, that was very nice.”
Like Houvenaghel, Storey is now getting back to training. “We’ve got the World’s at Manchester and before that the Masters’ road events in Austria. It was good to get in a ride in at speed today,” Storey said.
A switch from the men’s and Espoirs event to the veteran’s allowed Richard Prebble (Candi TV) to notch up a win. “I think I made the right choice,” Prebble laughed. “It was my first race for a month so it was useful to see where I am. After the 100-mile championship we went to France for a holiday doing some easy rides and watching the Tour on television every day,” Prebble said. Ian Dalton (Cherry Valley RT),who leads the Veteran’s scratch series had to settle for a second place this time having won the first three rounds of the TT Series, his 38-44 for the one lap 1-23 off of Prebble’s pace.
Calder Clarion’s Ian Cooke who has been challenging Dalton’s top of the table position had his hopes dashed when a puncture left him by the roadside after around 10 miles.
In the Target Time competition Roger Iddles (Stourbridge Velo) edged out Series leader John Woodburn (VC Meudon) with plus 09-02 to Woodburn’s plus 08-15
International Simon Richardson (Team Terminator) added to his successes in the disabled category with an adjusted time of 38-03 to runners up tandem pair Rebecca Rimmington and Lora Turnham (Melton Olympic CC) home in 39-28.
Already a winner of two rounds Jack Green (Westmead Team 88) made it three on Saturday, his 39-04 putting him 34 seconds clear of Tom Lackenby (Team I-Ride) in the juniors leg.
Round six of the TT Series takes place on 19 September so get your entry in. You will enjoy a ride away from dual carriageways and the refreshments are always pretty good.